Foot drop is a medical condition that causes difficulty in lifting the front part of the foot, making it difficult to walk or run. It can be caused by damage to the nerves, muscles, or bones in the leg or foot.

Some of the most common causes of foot drop include:

• Nerve damage: This can occur as a result of an injury, compression, or a disease such as multiple sclerosis or diabetes.
• Muscular dystrophy: This is a genetic disorder that causes progressive muscle weakness and atrophy.
• Brain or spinal cord injury: This can affect the nerves that control the muscles in the legs and feet.
• Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease: This is a hereditary disorder that affects the nerves in the legs and feet.

Symptoms of foot drop include dragging the foot when walking, an abnormal gait, numbness, tingling or weakness in the foot and leg, and difficulty in lifting the foot or toes.

Treatment for foot drop can vary depending on the underlying cause. Treatment may include physical therapy, braces, splints or orthotics, electrical nerve stimulation, surgery, or the use of assistive devices such as canes, walkers or crutches to help with walking. It is important to see a healthcare professional if you are experiencing symptoms of foot drop to determine the underlying cause and to develop a treatment plan that is appropriate for your individual needs.

Foot drop, sometimes called drop foot, is a general term for difficulty lifting the front part of the foot. If you have foot drop, the front of your foot might drag on the ground when you walk.

Foot drop isn't a disease. Rather, foot drop is a sign of an underlying neurological, muscular or anatomical problem.

Sometimes foot drop is temporary, but it can be permanent. If you have foot drop, you might need to wear a brace on your ankle and foot to hold your foot in a normal position.

Foot drop is caused by weakness or paralysis of the muscles involved in lifting the front part of the foot. Causes of foot drop might include:

• Nerve injury. The most common cause of foot drop is compression of a nerve in your leg that controls the muscles involved in lifting the foot (peroneal nerve). This nerve can also be injured during hip or knee replacement surgery, which may cause foot drop.
• A nerve root injury — "pinched nerve" — in the spine can also cause foot drop. People who have diabetes are more susceptible to nerve disorders, which are associated with foot drop.
• Muscle or nerve disorders. Various forms of muscular dystrophy, an inherited disease that causes progressive muscle weakness, can contribute to foot drop. So can other disorders, such as polio or Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.
• Brain and spinal cord disorders. Disorders that affect the spinal cord or brain — such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis or stroke — may cause foot drop.

Treatment for foot drop depends on the cause. If the cause is successfully treated, foot drop might improve or even disappear. If the cause can't be treated, foot drop can be permanent.

Treatment for foot drop might include:

• Braces or splints. A brace on your ankle and foot or splint that fits into your shoe can help hold your foot in a normal position.
• Physical therapy. Exercises that strengthen your leg muscles and help you maintain the range of motion in your knee and ankle might improve gait problems associated with foot drop. Stretching exercises are particularly important to prevent the stiffness in the heel.
• Nerve stimulation. Sometimes stimulating the nerve that lifts the foot improves foot drop.
• Surgery. Depending upon the cause, and if your foot drop is relatively new, nerve surgery might be helpful. If foot drop is long-standing, your doctor might suggest surgery that fuses ankle or foot bones or a procedure that transfers a working tendon and attached muscle to a different part of the foot.